Game apparatus



. May 7, 1935. J. F. MEYER 2,000,778

GAME APPARATUS 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l I .1. F .2.v

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25 30 33 16 29 cfoiraii/lfe er frzvevzfor May7, 1935. I J. F. MEQYER2,000,778

GAME APPARATUS Filed Nov. 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Shet 2 vHTHHIIIIIIlllllllllllllllHIIIIIlHlllIllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIUIHIIIIIIIIIHHIHH -3 John FMINVENTOR. 7

BY y f HIS ATTORNEYS.

and entertaining in ;use;

Patented May GAM E ArPARATUS;

1 i n' l M nib az y llv Application November 24, l9 33, sjerial No.699,492" I a 1 ['1 Cl ims, "(eer e-int] This; invention relates to ,game'apparatuses.

y It is an object of this.;invention.to provide: a" novel-amusementgame; apparatus that is rela-- tively simple and inexpensive inconstruction Another object" oilzhe invention is to provide a novelamusement game 1 apparatus comprising: the combination of: ;(1') a.rotatable horizontal table orfdisc, that: is, a spinning 'disc'on' whicha. variety of objects such, for example, as colored balls or-thelike,maybe arranged to-be tumbled; around upon the disc by; the spinningmove-y ments ofthe same was to aiford-amusernentto the player watchingtheir changing.- positiona, rmovements, or sequencesj (2) a coinsliderand (3)means. operatively, associated with the coin slide anddisc. for spinning the disc by movement;

of thecoin slide,- that. is,- means for transform-1 ing slidablemovementofthe coin. slide into spinning orgrotatable movement of thedisc.

.An'other'obje'ct, of ;.the invention is to providenovel means for,preventing 'fraudulent opera tion of.the appa.rat1is.,,

Related to 'the last-n ed object but more'speciflc, afurther. object"oIH-the inv ention isi to provide a novel meansyforspreventingthe-spinning operation of the. disc. until .thercoinslide has returned to.inefiective -or idle position;

Other objects willappear, hereinafter i 1 The. invention consists intheanovelcomhina tion. and arrangement-ofpartsfto behereinafterdescribed and claimed. 4 The invention will behest understood byl-reference to the accompanying drawings; showing l-kin Fig. 6;

the preferred form of; construction andin which: i Fig. 1 is atopjplanviewzofthdhew' game apparatus, with apartof the casing 01:, cabinetthereof removed; and showing the coin slide and operating mechanismassociated therewith" in idle or initial position; M

Fig; 2" is a top plan View sii n ilarito but 1, showing the coin slideandopera'ting mechanism just prior tothe disc-spinning operation; I

' Fig. 3 is a'longitndinalf vertical sectional viewon'line3'3.inFig.'6';' 't 1" Fig; 4-" isa' transverse sectional view online associated therewithinthe position they assume Fig. 5 is afragmentary sectional detail view'on line 5+5in- Fig. Grand". 1 {Fig ;6is a top-plan view-oi the. new game apparatus.

The drawings show a. preferred forfn of the game. apparatus. andthereina. cabinet: is generally-indicated at..-l0 and. has a transparentthe. cabinet in thereof. r a v Innn'efo'nn of the 'newapparatusscoringin- 'operation.]c- 1 apparatus are arranged-i Associatedwith one fol:- the verticalfwalls} [2 of thecabiriet H!) is a coin"control device generally indicatediat l3 {and includinga coin'fslide l6having ,a' coin slide. return spring vl3- :a|. ssociated therewith..Whilethis .jcoinfcontrolidevice 13 may be of'any' appmved type.:it.iswprefer- "v 6 ably; the efficient; coin; slide described kin thedescribed in these patents hasufoundiwide acceptance; in the amusementgame: trade. 9

'Mounted upon ,a suitable supporting base J5 I in the cabinet I0 isajbase plate l6:uponiwhich,'

infturn, j-is-mounted a; vertical .l'bearing studr lt in (Fig. 4). Antiirictionally-mounted fonrotatable movement on the bearing studll'is a,gear or pinion 18. which carries. a spinning table ordisc;.l9"thtrtzisafastuponthe gear. o'r,pinion..l8 'at' the topofth'elatter, andsd'asito spiniwithln under the transparent top ll.

dicia mayybe arranged upon the upper sur face of the; spinning disc 19;such, for example, as

a clook-'like rowof numerals (not shown) 'mov preselected scoring or.indicating point II on the transparent top wall I'I; "or the topsurfaceof able relative to and .into registry'With -a fixed the disc It!may be divided into variousl-ycolored segments, and the scoring'valu'e"of each playsgg colored segment. of thedisc Iii-with the-fixed;

may bedetermined byregist'ry of-a preselected preselected 1 scoring--point or indicator 2 I when the disc, 19 come Operatively associatedwith thec'oinfslide ll er denomination is inserted into the coin slidenow" to be described. U I

To this end there is provided on' the; inner to rest after eachspinning. g I

'- 40 and with the g ars; pinion I8 so awe om l or spin the disc 19 eachtime a coin of: the prop- 1: a

end of the coin slide a late'ral projectionll having an angularly.extending cam 1 face" 23 ,which bears "against a vertical projection, of

a horizontal arc-shaped bar 25 that is 'pivotally mounted, adjacentoneend; upon the. baselplate I6,c'as at .26. The vertical projectionMJ-ofQthe. bar 25. is urged against the cam race-1a or the coin slideprojection '22 by'means fo {a -spring 21: which end fixed: to the base'fplate' I6 and which has its other end attached to the bar (Figs. 1 and2). 1

Having one end pivotally mounted upon the base plate I6, as at 28, is ahorizontal bar 29. This bar 29 has a depending or downwardly extendingprojection 39 at its other end and this projection is adapted, in amanner presently to be described, to ride the inner and arcuate face 3|of the bar 25.

Pivotally connected at one end, .by'means of a pin 32, tonthe bar 29,adjacent the downward projection 39 of the latter, is a horizontal rackbar 33, the teeth of which are adapted to en gage with the teeth of thepinion or gear I8, to

rotate or spin the pinion I8 and the disc I9.

The free end portion of the rack bar 3 3 ,-;that

is the end portion thereofjthat is opposite the end that is pivotallyconnected at 32 to the bar 29, is guided for movement by means :ofa lugor pin 34 which is carried by therack bar 33 and 'wm-ks magro'ri've '35formed in the base plate- Iii. This 'pin '34 is urged downwardly,relative to the rack bar 33 and against the bot tom of the groove bymeans of a flat leaf spring 3'Iwhich is'c'arried by the rack bar 33. I

' The groove35 opens at its outer end out onto the upper sur'faceofthe'base plateIfiby way of aninclined groove or outlet 39 (Fig. 1)which is continuous with the groove 35.

Having'one end attached to'th'at end of the rack bar 33 that is"opposite the end having the pivotalfconnction'at '32 with the-bar 29 isa coil spring 39 which has it's-other end suitablyfixedtothei'cabinetIIli Projecting upwardly-from the rack bar 33 is astop lug 39 and'adapted'to engage the stop lug 39 at a certain time inthe cycle of operations presently to be described is a stop'bar which ismounted on the base plate It and has a portion projecting over the rackbar '33.

Formed in the bar 25 is aflatchin'g notch or detent M, the purpose ofwhich will be made apparent presently. I j

Operation The"spring*21"uzrgesthe bar 25 (counterclockwise Fig..l),causing the upwardly projectingportion 24 of the bar 25 to bear againstthe angled cam face 23 of: the, lateral projection 22 of the coin slideI4. However, when a coin Further inward movement of the coin slide I4and its lateral projection 22 causes the latter to engage (Fig. 2) thepin 32 which providesthe' pivotal connection betwe'en'the bar 29 and therack bar 33, a portion of this pin projecting above (Fig. 3) theiuppersurface of the bar 29. Continued inward movement of the coin slide I4and its lateral projection 22 (now in enga ment with the pivot'pin 32)pivots the bar 29 (clockwiseFigs. 1 and 2). "Thismoveme'nt of the'bar 29moves the rack bar 33 and associated parts from their positions of Fig.1 into their positions of Fig; 2-,'durin'g which movement the pin- 34rides throughthe groove 35 and up out of the groove35, by way of theinclined groove the pinion I8.

36, onto the upper surface of the base plate I6. This movement of theparts of the operating mechanism causes the teeth of the rack bar 33 tomesh with the pinion I8, tensions the coin slide return spring 43 andthe spring 38, and positions one corner portion 42 of the bar 29 inengagement with the latching notch or detent 4I formed in the bar 25(Fig. 2). This is the position of the parts (as shown in Fig. 2) at thetime the coin slide reaches its innermost position, at which time theslide has released the coin carried thereby into the cabinet I!) and is'ready to start its return movement which is accomplished by thetensioned spring 43. During" the time the coin slide I4 is beingreturnedto idle position by the tensioned spring 43, the corner portion42 of the bar 29 is held by the action-of the spring 21, in latchingengagement with the latch notch or detent 4I formed in the bar 25. Thislatching engagement of the corner portion 42 of the bar29 in the notch4I prevents movement of the bar 29, and also prevents movement of therack bar 33 and the pinion I8 and the disc I9 carriedby This latchingengagement is maintained and movement of-"the bar 29, rack bar33, pinionI8 and disc I9 prevented until the angled cam face 23 of thelateralcoinslide pro jection 22 .engages the upwardly extending proje'ctionv 24 ofthe bar 25 which occurs at the time the coin slide I4 completes itsreturn to idle" or ineffective and locked position (Fig. 1). However, asthe cam face 23 of the lateral coin slide projection 22 engages theupwardly extending projection 24 ofthe bar25, the bar 25 t into theposition of Fig; 1,thereby rapidly spinning the gear or pinion I8 andthedisc I9 carried thereby (clockwise, Figs. 1 and'2). ,At the end of thismovement the rack bar,33 is positioned (as in Fig.. I) out of meshlwiththe pinion I8 so that the pinion, I8 andthe disc I9 are free to continuethe rotation imparted thereto by the aforementioned, rapid movement ofthe rack bar 33.

' During this movement of. the rack bar 33 the pin 34 rides across theupper surface of. the base plate I6 and is returned into the groove 35by the action of the flat spring 3i,v the bar 40 preventing the spring38 from lifting the rack bar 33 up out ofits path of movement. Atthetime the rack bar 33 reaches its initialv position it is stopped byengagement of the pin 39 withthe stop bar 49. t v I v The aforementioneddelayed release of the corner portion 42 of thebar 29 from latchingengagement inthe notch 4|, which does not take place, as hereinbeforestated, until the cam face 23 of the lateral coin slide projection 22engages the arcuate face 3I of the bar 25, prevents fraudulentoperation'of the game, apparatus by manipulation of the coiri'slide I4since this -de layed release takes place practically simultaneously withthe movement of the coin slide I4 into locked, idle position; in whichposition the coin slide I4 is held (by means not shown) until a coin ofthe proper denomination is inoperatively interconnecting said coin slideand said gear member for converting sliding move: ment'of said coinslide into rotating, spinning serted into the coin receiving openingformed therein. V x

Another device is provided for, preventing fraudulent operation'of theapparatus by manipulation of the coin slide l4 and this device comprisesa spring-urged latch dog 44 that is pivotally mounted on the coincontrol device I3 adjacent one longitudinal edge of the coin slide M.This dog 44 engagesin a serrated edge 45 of the coin slide l4 to preventfraudulent return or retroactive movement of the coin slide 14 until thelatter has reached itsinnermost position. This device 43'44 alsoprevents fraudulent forward movement-of the coin slide I4 once thelatter has reached the in'ner end of itstravel and started back to idleposition inwhich it is shownin Fig. 1. I

Formed in the same edge of the coin slide I4 that has the notches 45formed therein (Fig. 2) is a notch 48. wardly the dog 44 is spring-urged(by a spring not shown) into the notch 48 so that the, dog 44 facesinwardly and engages the notches 45.

This prevents rearwardmovement of the coin". slide l4 until the notchededge portion 45 of the slide l4 has passed the dog 44$ On the returnmovement of the slide l4 the dog 44 is again spring-urged into the notch48 which pivots the dog (clockwise, Fig. 2) thereby pointing the dog 44rearwardly so that the dog engages the notched edge 45 in such a mannerthat it prevents inward movement of the slide, 14' until the I notchededge 45 has passed the dog 44.

The apparatus includes a board 46 which extends (Fig; 3) transverselyacross the cabinet l between the transparent top wall H and the disc I9,and has an annular opening or pocket 41 extending verticallytherethrough. This opening 41 provides a pocket or receptacle which ismade coincidental with, that is, of the same size as, the disc l9,sothat variously colored amusement balls or the like (not shown) may bearranged in the pocket or receptacle 4! upon the disc I9. When the discI9 is rapidly spun,

the balls or like objects in the pocket will be tumbled around upon theupper surface of the disc l9, below the transparent top wall H, toafford amusement to the player watching the changing positions andtumbling movements of I claim as new and desire to protect by LetterPatent is:

1. A game apparatus, comprisin gthe combina tionof: a cabinet having asubstantially liorizontal transparent top; a rotatable gear memberarranged in the cabinet; a disc carried by said gear member, so as to berotatable therewith,

between said gear member andsaid transparent top; a coin control devicearranged at a point on the cabinet and including a coinslide; means Asthe coin slide I4 is moved in movement of said gear member and disc;alatching mechanism associated with said meansand.

:coin slide; said latching mechanism being rene .dered effective bymovement of said coin slide into coin-releasing position and beingreleased by the return movement of said-coin slideinto idle position soas to delay rotation of said gear member'and disc until the coin slidehas completed its movement into coin-releasing position in said cabinetbetween the said top thereof and 2. In a game apparatus,,thecombinationof: a cabinet; a disc rotatably mounted in said cabinet; a coinslidemounted in a Wall ofsaid cabinet; means coacting with said-coinslide for rotating said disc; and means including'a and is returning toidle position; and means', cooperating with said disc toprovidea'poclret v said disc for the reception of a ball or the like.

device released by movement of said coin slide from coin-dischargingposition into coin-receiving position for latching said discagainst'rotation. v1 r I V 3. In a game apparatus, the combination of:

a cabinet; a disc rotatably mounted in said. cabinet; a coin slidemounted in a wall of said cabinet; means, including a device energizedby movement of said coin slide from coin-receiving position intocoin-discharging position,for rotating said disc; and means including adevice releasedby movement of said coin, slide from coin-dischargingposition to coin-receiving position for latching said disc againstrotation.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination of a cabinet; a disc rotatablymounted in said cabinet a coin controlled member mounted in a wall ofsaid cabinet; means coactingwith said coin-controlled member forrotating said disc; and means for delaying the rotation of said discuntil said coin controlled member has completedsubstantially a fullstroke."

5.In a game apparatus, the combination of:

a cabinet; a disc rotatably mounted in said cabinet; a coin slidemounted in a wallof said cabia net; means coacting with said coin slide1 for rotating said disc; and means for delaying the rotation of saiddisc ,until said coin slide i completed substantially a full stroke; y6. In a game apparatus, the combination of:

a cabinet; a disc rotatably mounted; in said cabinet; a coin controlled;member mounted in I a wall of said cabinet; means coacting with saidcoin controlled member for rotating said" disc;

and means, including a device released by movement of said coincontrolled member, for delay 4 ing the rotation of said disc untilsaidicoin confull stroke; i i t '7. In a game apparatus, the combinationor:

trolled member has completed substantially fa.

a cabinet; a disc rotatably mounted in said cabi-f net; a coin slidemounted in a wall of said cabinet; means coacting With'said coin slidefor rotating said disc; and means, including a device released bymovement of said coin slide, for delaying the rotationof said disc.until said coin slide has completed substantially a full stroke.

JOHN F. MEYER. v

